Wolf-Hunting
Fateful Meeting Several months before the events of "Predators"... A particularly harsh winter had ravaged the rural landscape of Germany, blanketing it's vast forests and mountain ranges with a blinding amount of snow and ice. For normal humans, and even for some of the most weathered and seasoned beasts of the realm, such an onslaught of weather would simply be too much to try and survive, forcing many inhabitants of the area to clear out in search of more hospitable grounds. There was one such individual, however, who would not so readily abandon the place that he called home. Perched on the edge of a small mountain, overlooking the vast, beautiful landscape was a large white Werewolf. His massive claws dangled by his sides, standing upright and smelling the air attentively. To the gaze of any passerby, he would simply look like a predator searching for his next form of prey, and while this was partly true, he was actually basking in what was perceived to be his kingdom. The cold weather, the black and white forests, the running rivers and streams, and the mighty peaks that dared to scrape the skies created the almost perfect environment for this great beast. But not all was perfect in his land, for a scent that was both foreign and yet all too familiar found it's way into his nostrils, immediately diverting his attention towards it's origins. At the end of the woods and in a small clearing was a small log cabin that belonged to his human self. Beyond this small cabin on it's left and right sides were two mountain ranges in which the great peaks seemed to become smaller and smaller as they went on, with the setting orange sun between them in the horizon. Approaching this cabin were the Spiritual signatures of two beings, either two beings or just one, he couldn't tell due to the difference, but regardless of how many there were, he at least knew what they were. Quincy. The Werewolf reared back and released a loud, throaty howl that shook the surrounding landscape, causing snow to shake free from tree limb and mountain alike. This howl would be followed by the subsequent howls of several, smaller wolves that were littered throughout the vast forests both behind and around the approaching Quincy. Lowering itself down on all fours, the Werewolf snarled quietly before it began to quietly and stealthily descend the mountain peak. Tiny and brief fluctuations of Reishi pulsed around the beast momentarily, before his entire form seemed to turn completely invisible, and appear to have completely vanished into thin air. For those unlucky enough to find themselves on the run from such a beast, they would only hope that that were the case. "Ngh..." "Don't fret." A young girl felt her nerves shaken by the howl in the distance, as though it reverberated throughout her body. Yet the woman in front of her, dressed as regally as her and also adorned with brilliant golden locks the same as her own, remained stoic and composed. All the same, the two women stood still in that instance, before the older figure continued onward. "M-Mother..." "There is no need to fear. You are a Quincy. The pride of a million years rests on your shoulders. Do not lose faith in that blood." Whatever the reason, there was clearly something on ahead; one that made the young Sieglinde and the older Reinhild sharpen their senses. They pressed onward, before finally reaching the cabin in the snowy distance. This was a tradition in the Quincy tribe, to accompany their child when they were of-age on a Hollow hunt. Normally, the modern tribes that survived their bloody genocides of the past no longer practiced such a tradition, but Reinhild sought to recover the old ways. She believed in forging ahead with the old and the new. "Sieglinde... Draw your weapon." Her sudden declaration was unclear, but when she ordered it of her daughter, so too did she summon her own spirit weapon. An illuminating bow of ocean blue manifested forth in her hand, as an equally-colored arrow appeared at her fingertips. As the Reishi particles would gather within Reinhild's palm, the piercing, icy blue orbs of a large black wolf would shine through the darker thicket of the forest. As the beast calmly walked out from it's hiding spot, another wolf of equal size with red fur and equally colored eyes emerged from a similar spot just on the opposite side of the wood, as did another, and another, and another. In a few seconds, the pair of Quincy were surrounded on all sides by at least a dozen wolves of varying colors, all roughly the same size. The pack circled around the women, some looking upon them with eyes of true predators, snarling and waiting to pounce upon them at any second. Others, however, looked on with more curious and even thoughtful gazes, as if they were debating whether the two humans were truly enemies or not. Regardless of what they were feeling, they knew that their alpha was nearby. The Werewolf had seamlessly made his way to the cabin without making a sound, his camouflaging technique still active as he hunched down near some fallen trees not terribly far from where the scene was taking place. It would take a highly skilled Quincy to be able to see or even sense him, which he could no doubt tell was the case with Reinhild. Although he couldn't quite put his finger on it, something about the woman seemed incredibly familiar to him, like he had seen or interacted with her sometime ago. No matter. Regardless of who she was now, this woman and her daughter were intruding upon his territory, and he was at the very least not keen on letting them do so carelessly. He prepared to pounce, but instead decided that it would be better to wait, and observe how the two reacted to his pack checking them out. If they were the Wandenreich that he knew, they would ruthlessly rid themselves of the wolves with little care or remorse... but he couldn't help but feel like these two would be different, more compassionate than the Quincy he knew. Their next course of action would in turn decide his. Sieglinde readied her own weapon, a golden broadsword, once she noticed all the wolves gathering around them. Yet, the two women remained stationary, simply observing the situation as the young Quincy followed her mother's example. Reinhild observed them closely; she was a Quincy with skill rivaling the Sternritter, yet she never became one, for she wished to serve under Haschwalth. She admired his drive to protect the Quincy, even if she never fully understood what he was thinking in all the time she had spent with him. As a subordinate, as a lover, and as a fellow Quincy; if there was anything she gleaned from him, it was that he wished for peace. There were stories he would sometimes speak of, when he first followed His Majesty Yhwach; believing this path would lead to prosperity among his own kind. Reinhild believed herself to have inherited that will. To forge a path of prosperity for the Quincy. An era that pursues peace cannot be built on bloodshed. Such a path leads to nothing but more bloodshed. And so, that was the philosophy she tried to instill onto the new Quincy and the ones that survived the wars once fought. Even now, against these wolves, such a mindset carried her through. The wolves appeared menacing, but she could tell none of them intended to lunge at them. The Quincy woman lowered her weapon, much to her daughter's own surprise who still kept her sword up at her chest level. "Come on out." Reinhild proclaimed, to which Sieglinde appeared confused. To whom was she calling out? "These wolves are fed. Civilized. In a terrain like this, I can't imagine there'd be a surplus of food. Wild wolves under no care would be ravenous and wild. Someone clearly tends to them, and that someone is out there, aren't they... Aren't you? Come on out." Reinhild once more declared. As he expected, the eldest of the two Quincy had caught onto his scheme. He could sense her level of strength rivaled that of the Sternritter he was once forced to call "comrades." Slowly, the other wolves began to creep back towards the forest, and as they did, the werewolf made himself known. His camouflage started to wear off as he emerged from behind the trees, the Reishi that had been cloaking him gradually fading away into the wind to reveal his true menacing form. The other wolves quickly formed up behind their supposed alpha, who stood nearly five feet higher than the average human. Blut Vene lines visibly pulsated throughout his body, indicating that he was still apprehensive about being near the woman. Without inching any closer, the werewolf began to sniff in Reinhild and Sieglinde's direction, for he knew that at least once of them seemed familiar to him. After this, he briefly snarled before pointing at Sieglinde. "...Haschwalth..." He said in a gruff, barely human sounding voice.